Wow! I won! I got first and third prizes in both the categories I'd entered - 'Embroidered Item' and 'Cross Stitch - not from a kit'. The second category was a little ambiguous as I interpreted it very literally indeed, whereas it seems that the actual meaning is something one has designed oneself. The second prize entry was self designed and I did 'fess up and say that mine were slightly adapted from commercial charts, but as the category wasn't clear, it wouldn't have been fair to penalise me, so I won instead!!
The stumpwork bunny rabbit came first in the 'Embroidered Item' category and the recent wedding ring cushion won third prize. I should have tidied the display up a bit before the photo was taken, but I was so excited at having won that I didn't even notice the rabbit's rather perpendicular ear and the ring cushion being upside down until afterwards.LOL!
In the cross stitch section, the Tudor Lady came 'only' third, whilst the 'Sunshine and Flowers' sampler won the first prize. I'd only entered that one for the sake of it and as it qualified for the timescale (which is 3 years in this show - most unusual!)
So, I came away walking 10 feet tall (that's 3 metres for those of you who speak metric), with £10 of prize money in my pocket and a feeling that this was a most successful first year in the show!=)
Aim for next year? Win the Best in Section (Craft) rosette....
PS Sorry for the delay in getting the new tute out to you. It's in progress, but I haven't been able to finish it up just yet.
Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

